5 Methods for Fighting Half-Hearted Prayer

~ Joel Beeke

The Puritans were prone to give five methods for fighting our natural tendency to lapse into half-hearted prayer:

1. Give priority to prayer. Prayer is the first and most important thing you are called to do. “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed,” John Bunyan writes. “Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to Satan.”

2. Give yourself—not just your time—to prayer. Remember that prayer is not an appendix to your life and your work, it is your life—your real, spiritual life—and your work. Prayer is the thermometer of your soul.

Continue: http://www.ligonier.org/blog/5-methods-fighting-half-hearted-prayer/

We must distinguish!

Chris Watson Lee wants to help us talk about our disagreements over ‘secondary issues.’ The nature of the disagreement should affect the way in which we deal with it.

Christians have disagreed with one another since the earliest days of the church (Philippians 1:27); this side of eternity, there are always going to be disagreements and differences. But how should we engage with theological differences? In the words of a Reformed scholastic like Francis Turretin, “we must distinguish” between different kinds of disagreement. The nature of the disagreement will (or at least should) affect the way in which we deal with it. This is not a new insight: you might be familiar with the old maxim, “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” It reminds us that before rushing in to debate our disagreements, we must check ourselves – aiming for a humble attitude, dependence on the Lord, and love for others (Ephesians 4:1-16)

Distinguishing Disagreements

Continue at: https://pjcockrell.wordpress.com/2016/03/28/we-must-distinguish/

Resurrection faked?

If you say the resurrection was fabricated, then you must prove:

1. The disciples had a motive. Usually people make elaborate lies for fame or money — or to cover wrong-doing. But the disciples got persecution and poverty. They lived on the run.
2. The disciples were incredibly clever to devise the story. The Bible record states the contrary: They (the Jewish leaders) perceived Peter and John were unlearned and ignorant men — Acts. 4:13. Outside of the Bible, Josephus mentions Paul and his academic background. The omission of mention of the disciples is telling. They were fishermen.

There is more: https://mustardseedbudget.wordpress.com/2016/03/29/resurrection-faked/

33 Of The Most Inspirational Leadership Quotes For You To Live By

http://projectjournal.co.uk/2016/03/29/33-of-the-most-inspirational-leadership-quotes-for-you-to-live-by/

Great Verses Of The Bible: Philippians 2:9-11

Shakespeare said in Romeo and Juliet “that which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.” But the Bard of Avon was wrong! There’s something in a name.

The name Benedict Arnold stands for treason. But Patrick Henry stands for courage.

A name can be a burden or blessing? Remember Johnny Cash’s song “A boy named Sue”?

Names often speak to one’s identity, character, or some aspect of his life. Alexander the Great. William the Conqueror. Simeon the Zealot. John the Baptist.

The wise man wrote, “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver and gold. (Prov 22:1). The name of Jesus is great because of who He is, how He lived, and what He did.

Jesus came to earth on a rescue mission to save the human race from the devil’s devices and the guilt of sin. As a result, the name of Jesus is honored, revered and worshiped. One of the great texts of the Bible expresses it this way.

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phi. 2:9-11)

Ahh, the name of Jesus! A name that stirred up controversy among the unbelieving Jews and the pagan Gentiles.

The rest is at: http://thepreachersword.com/2016/03/30/great-verses-of-the-bible-philippians-29-11/

Indestructible Life

by Don Merritt

When Jesus went to the cross to pay the price for our sins, it was the greatest event in all of history, but it was surpassed only a couple of days later when He burst forth from the grave; in shedding His blood on the cross, He paid the price; in bursting forth from the grave, He paved our way!

Because of this, we have the hope that just as He arose from death, so shall we.

It’s really just like the picture.  Can you see the sun bursting forth from the horizon?  Yes, Jesus did just that.  In the Bible, the seas, raging, tossing, churning… represent the world in which we live as it tosses, turns and rolls in its futility.

From this raging and crazy world, we shall burst forth toward the heavenly realm because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross, and by bursting forth from the tomb by the power of His indestructible life.

Comment: https://lifereference.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/indestructible-life/

How to Delight in God’s Word

~ John Piper

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalm 119:103)

Never reduce Christianity to a matter of demands and resolutions and willpower. It is a matter of what we love, what we delight in, what tastes good to us.

When Jesus came into the world, humanity was split according to what they loved. “The light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light” (John 3:19). The righteous and the wicked are separated by what they delight in — the revelation of God or the way of the world.

But someone may ask: How can I come to delight in the Word of God? My answer would be twofold:

1) pray for new tastebuds on the tongue of your heart;
2) meditate on the staggering promises of God to his people.

The same psalmist who said, “How sweet are your words to my taste” (119:103), said earlier, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law” (119:18). He prayed, because to have holy tastebuds on the tongue of the heart is a gift of God. No man naturally hungers for and delights in God’s wisdom.

But when you have prayed, indeed while you pray, meditate on the benefits God promises to his people and on the joy of having Almighty God as your helper now and eternal hope.

Who would not delight to read a book, the reading of which would change one from chaff to a cedar of Lebanon, from a Texas dust bowl to a Hawaiian orchard? Nobody deep down wants to be chaff — rootless, weightless, useless. All of us want to draw strength from some deep river of reality and become fruitful, useful people.

That river of reality is the Word of God and all the great saints have been made great by it.

Walking with God Requires One Thing Most of All

How the basics keep us from growing cold.

We start strong. Determination and strength come easily. Faithfulness flows from our hearts. Then life happens. We didn’t plan to grow cold spiritually. But we did.

Somehow, we can wake up after a number of years and discover that our lack of passion for God has gradually shifted Him away from our hearts. We then find ourselves living in the ruins of once-vibrant spiritual lives.

How does this happen? By forgetting this one thing.

Continue at: http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=463e57a6fcf34555adb711b92&id=b959dfc86c&e=6d7ddadc2f

A Body and Blood Thing

There was a body on the cross. This was the shocking revelation of a 12 year-old seeing a crucifix for the first time. I was not used to seeing Jesus there—or any body for that matter. The many crosses in my world were empty. But here, visiting a friend’s church, in a denomination different from my own, was a scene I had never fully considered.

In my own Protestant circles I remember hearing the rationale. Holy Week did not end with Jesus on the cross. Good Friday is not the end of the story. Jesus was crucified, died, and was buried.And on the third day, he rose again. The story ends in the victory of Easter. The cross is empty because Christ is risen.

Read more: http://us5.campaign-archive2.com/?u=45b75085e6ab57e339ea89d67&id=ca2b77b01a&e=c07069ddf1

Transformed and Empowered

I’m stronger because I had to be, smart because of my mistakes, happier because of the sadness I’ve known, and now wiser because I’ve learned.
~ Unknown Author ~

A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statues, and ye shall keep my judgements, and do them.
~ Ezekiel 36:26-27 ~

Hello friends. (smile) I’ve been working on my book. To be honest, it’s been a slow process balancing work and trying to write on a specific schedule.

Faith, I have faith, it will all fall into place. (smile)

I’m a humble servant of The Lord coming here to share my faith journey and life challenges to encourage others that seasons of challenge always teach us something. It can be painful but the experience will make you stronger spiritually.

I don’t pretend to be better than anyone. I’m not. I share my experiences because once upon a time, I didn’t know what I didn’t know.  I ran from God’s calling.  

We all have a past. There are things from the past that may need resolving. Until we deal with it, it lays dormant until something or someone awakens it. This is probably why some things and some people rub us the wrong way.  

Memories from the past.

I feared everything and everybody until I made Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour. He gave me a new heart and His Spirit. I read and applied His Word until I was rooted and grounded in it.  Then I renewed my mind.

I developed a deep and intimate relationship with Him by giving every area of my life to Him. I love to tell anyone that He loves and protects me well. Thank you Lord!

As He pruned and purged stuff from the past that was not spiritual fruit–love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance, my heart was opened and obedience became easier. No fear. (smile)

When God gives a new heart and it’s opened to The Holy Spirit, change is inevitable. Here’s the thing, change is from the inside out. This is a lifelong process. It cannot be rushed and is so worth it.

I’ve had challenges, at the circus, that were used to prune me more. I still believe long suffering and patience are tested the most by way of challenges. This is our opportunity to show Jesus to those around us.

The thing about faith and trusting God is that one day you wake up transformed and empowered in Christ.

You learn to count it all joy because the challenge is temporary and you realize you are more than a conqueror.  Life can change in an instant.

I share all this because God gave me victory over circus woes once and for all. Praise The Lord.

Abundant blessings, my friends as we keep the faith and enjoy today. (smile)

Your comments or thoughts are welcome. (smile)

©afriendofjesus2013Blog, Aug 2013 to present.

Comment at: http://afriendofjesus2013.com/2016/03/28/transformed-and-empowered/